Birla Mandir

An enchanting modern Birla Mandir located in south end of Hussain Sagar in Hyderabad, stands atop the Kala Pahad, the twin hillock of the Naubat Pahad. The Birlas (industrialists who have also built several temples in India in this century) built this temple in 1976. This modern enchanting temple dedicated to Lord Venkateswara (Vishnu), constructed with white marbles from Rajasthan. Kausalya supraja Rama poorva sandhya pravartate.. the chanting mantra to arouse the Lord can be heard every morning at around 5.30 am. And as for the evenings, they are a treat to your ears at this hilltop temple.Sweet melodies of cuckoos and the kirtans of Annamayya, Tyagaraja and Ramadas at the backdrop of the orangish-red sky pleasantly soothe your soul.

Mixture Architecture

Birla Mandir combines the architectural styles of Orissan and South Indian temples. A Rajagopuram built in the South Indian style greets the visitors. The tower over the main shrine of Lord Venkateswara called the "Jagadananda Vimanam" is built in the Orissan style, while the towers over the shrines of the consorts are built in the South Indian style. An exotic scenes from the great epics of Ramayana and Mahabharatha are finely sculpted in marble, the inner shrine of the temple is a replica of the Venkateswara temple at Tirupati. The brass flagstaff rises to a height of 42 feet.

The granite image of the presiding deity is about 11ft tall and a carved lotus forms an umbrella for this image. There are several carvings in marble, in the adjoining 'Mukha Mandapam' - depicting scenes from Indian mythology.

Other Shrines in the Temple

The consorts of Venkateswara, 'Padmavati' and 'Andal' are housed in separate shrines. There is also a temple dedicated to Buddha in this complex with fresco paintings describing his life and work.

Birla Mandir offers a spectacular sight when illuminated at night. A tour to Hyderabad is considered incomplete without a visit to the enchanting Birla Mandir.